


Maybe They'll Leave You Alone But Not Me

by Theyna_Shipper



Series: Chapter Theyna Fics [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Based on a My Chemical Romance Song, Canon Compliant up to BOO, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Gay, M/M, Maybe They'll Leave You Alone But Not Me, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Thalia can SING, band au, based on a youtube video
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper
Summary: The tags say it all. Reyna finds out that Thalia can sing crazy well. Thalia finds out that Reyna writes music. With Will on the drums, they decide to try to form a band.And maybe fall in love along the way- even if they're being forced together by friends and fans.I saw a Theyna tribute toTeenagersby My Chemical Romance and couldn't resist.Canon compliant up to BOO, pretend TOA doesn't exist.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, other minor background relationships
Series: Chapter Theyna Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570711
Comments: 16
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my ten millionth Theyna fic. Clearly you love theyna as much as I do (if that's even possible). 
> 
> Credit to the youtube account that made the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fMY_rHN8CU.

Thalia loved music. She loved singing. The low notes settled nicely into her gravelly contralto. She could put her soul into the words if she was alone. So that day, on her visit to New Rome in her private quarters, she plugged in her phone and turned up her My Chemical Romance, singing along. 

_They're going to clean up your looks_

_With all the lies in the books_

_To make a citizen out of you_

This is the exact right sort of song for her, the low notes and rough voice, the angry sentiment. 

_Because they sleep with a gun_

_And keep an eye on you, son_

_So they can watch all the things you do_

She sang loud and passionate. She was alone, and could sing to hear heart's content. Except for the fact that by the time she got to the second chorus, a certain praetor had walked into hearing distance. 

_So darken your clothes_

_Or strike a violent pose_

"MAYBE THEY'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE BUT NOT ME," the girls sang in unison as Reyna stuck her head through a window Thalia had forgotten to close. 

Thalia ran to pause her music. "Reyna! What are you doing here?"

Reyna swung one leg over the windowsill and boosted herself inside. "I was walking by and I heard you singing."

"I can't believe I forgot that window," Thalia said, facepalming. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You got some pipes," Reyna told her. 

Thalia blushed. "Thanks. I've taken some voice lessons."

"Nice. So have I," Reyna said. "You like that song a lot?"

"Huh? Yeah, it's my favorite."

"You relate to it," Reyna said. It wasn't a question. "You really sang it with a lot of feeling."

Thalia shrugged. 

"Did they clean up your looks with all the lies in the books?" Reyna asked. 

Thalia snorted. "Hell yes, they did. I'm no good girl." She certainly didn't look the part- with her short and uneven black and purple hair, her many piercings, and her black tank top and short shorts. Her shoulder tattoo didn't help either. "They haven't made a citizen out of me yet, though."

Reyna smirked. "I doubt anyone could."

"The Hunt, though- it's a pretty tight grip. They don't let you go without a good reason. Not supposed to be an oath you take lightly," Thalia said. 

"Are you saying you did?" 

"Maybe," Thalia shrugged. 

"You're casual about literally _everything_," Reyna laughed. "Tell me, what was the last thing you took seriously?"

Thalia pursed her lips. "Annabeth. When she was a kid. After that, it was too hard to stay attached to anything."

Reyna cracked her neck. "I know the feeling. Except I went the opposite way and decided to take everything seriously."

"Enough with the philosophical stuff," Thalia decided. "You voice isn't so bad either."

Reyna looked away. "Thanks. You're way better than me. I've tried writing some stuff, actually, but I don't have the voice for it."

"Can I see it?" Thalia asked.

"Sure, but be warned, it's not very good." Reyna pulled some folded paper out of her pocket and handed it to Thalia.

Thalia read the music, singing it under her breath. "This is _really_ good, Rey." She said. Neither girl knew where the nickname had come from, but both were used to it by now. "I could totally do this. It's got a bit of a punk vibe that I could totally try."

"You don't have to," Reyna said. "I've never shown these to anyone before and I'm not sure I should have."

"Girl, I'm serious. You've got real talent. Can you play any instruments?"

Reyna shrugged. "Some guitar."

"Acoustic or electric?"

"Both."

"Well, there you go," Thalia said. "Get some drums and we've got a band."

Reyna looked at her. "You're joking."

"Maybe not," Thalia smirked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia, Will, and Reyna start playing music together for fun.
> 
> Nico has an OTP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for reading! I hope you like this concept, it's a little more lighthearted than some of my other series. I'm done with angst for now.
> 
> Disclaimer: I play piano but don't know a lot about other music so it may or may not be accurate depictions.

"_You_ play the drums? Seriously?" Thalia asked. 

"What's so unbelievable about that?" Will demanded. 

"Sorry," Thalia said, trying and failing not to laugh. "But, I mean if someone looked at you two-" she indicated Will and Nico- "And told me one of you played drums, I wouldn't guess it was you."

"You're not much of a bad boy," Nico teased. 

"How dare you. I'm such a rebel," Will pouted. 

"I'm sure you're all very dangerous," Reyna said, "But let's stay on topic. Do you want to try playing with me and Thalia? Just for fun."

"I'd love to," Will said. "Now that I know that I can actually play an instrument, I'd love to put it to use."

"Awesome. Do you want to join us this Sunday, 7? Bring food. You can bring Nico if you want," Reyna told him. 

"Hey!" Nico said.

But Will did show up on Sunday, and he did bring Nico. 

"I won't make you play my stuff to start, it's still really bad-" Reyna begin. 

"It's _not_, stop beating yourself up," Thalia insisted. "It just needs editing. And I'll help with that."

"Thanks, Thalia," Reyna said. Nico looked between them- it wasn't like either of them to be this nice to each other. Or to spend this much time together. Or to be this cheerful and relaxed around other people. He was glad that Reyna had another woman friend, anyways. A girl friend, not a girlfriend. Probably. He didn't want to speculate. They were acting a little unusual. None of his business. He's getting distracted. 

"So I thought we'd start with this one, Thalia and I are both familiar without and it's how we found out we were both into music anyways. You know it?" Reyna said, showing Will the music. 

"Teenagers? Yeah, I know this one, Nico loves My Chemical Romance," Will said. Nico looked sheepish. 

"Awesome, we can each practice our parts for a bit and then try it together."

They found that they fit will together, and with the music. Will wanted to see Reyna's music, but she refused. She was a picky artist, and would only show her stuff to Thalia. 

"See you all soon," Reyna told them. "Make your boyfriend stay in Rome for a while, Nico. We need him."

"I'll see what I can do," Nico promised. "Thalia, you need a ride?"

"I'm sticking around to help Reyna, thanks," she replied. Hm, interesting. 

"See you, then."

~~~~~~~~

Eventually, "tweak Reyna's music for Thalia's voice" became "eat gummy bears and pass out on Reyna's couch at 2 a.m." They got plenty of work done beforehand, but they got too tired to go on. Could anyone blame them?

Thalia woke up lying on the couch next to Reyna, vaguely remembering trying to throw a blanket on top of her but instead falling over and being too tired to get up. She didn't sit up right away. It was warm and comfortable here. She didn't wake up all the way until Reyna shoved her off the couch and told her to make coffee. 

"Good morning to you too," Thalia grumbled, but went to go make instant. "I guess you slept well last night."

"I guess I made a horrible decision because it's Monday and I need to be at the forum by 11," Reyna snapped. She buried her head in her hands. "I'm not sure how much longer I can handle this Praetor thing."

"I guess we're both at a crossroads. My band suggestion is sounding less and less wild by the day," Thalia suggested. "You have something to do instead of Praetor-ing. I have something to replace the Hunt. I get some new and awesome friends. And I get to sing."

"Get us a gig and maybe I'll listen," Reyna told her. 

That shouldn't be too hard for Thalia, could it?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band gets their first gig. Thalia takes Reyna shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading! This fic hasn't been as popular as my others so far, but I'm having fun with it. 
> 
> Also thank you to Street_Fighter for constant support and readership <3
> 
> Please like and comment. 
> 
> Tell me if there are any characters you'd like to see later!

"You're joking."

Thalia shook her head. 

"YOU'RE JOKING!"

"A gig? In two weeks?" Reyna asked. 

"You said you'd talk about the band if I got us a gig. Well, I got us a gig."

"What is it?"

"Playing Green Day covers at some party," Thalia said. "You think we can manage?"

"Yeah, probably," Reyna said. "But how did you even get it? Who would want to hire us?"

"I mean it's only because we'll be so cheap- I charged $500 for the whole night," Thalia told her. "Also, everyone likes hiring pretty girls."

"Have you told Will?"

"No, I wanted to make sure you were chill with it first."

"Ugh, don't make me be the front woman," Reyna moaned.

"Don't worry, you're just the manager, I'll take care of all the publicity," Thalia promised. "Want me to call Will?" 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Reyna muttered. "I'll start working the logistics."

"No way!" Will said. "A gig?"

"You bet, sweetheart," Thalia chirped. "You in?"

"Of course!" Will said. "Yeah, totally."

She heard Nico in the background. "Wait, since it's for real, can I not come?"

"Too bad, you're our roadie now," Reyna called. 

"Get over here as soon as you can, k Will?" Thalia said. "You can borrow clothes from Nico or something, but I need to take Rey shopping. She has to at least dress the part."

"Wait, what?" Reyna said. 

"Sweetie, you need to be a better punk. I'm sorry, but your casual clothes are way too boho. I can just dress like I always do to cover Green Day, but you..."

"Fine, you can take me to the thrift store. But please give me a gentle awakening," Reyna sighed. 

"Can't make any promises, Rey," Thalia smirked. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow, Thalia had managed to drag Reyna to a store to buy punk clothes. At what point had Thalia learned to drive? She certainly wasn't telling. She seemed to be less and less involved in the hunters every day. 

"So your combat boots will be fine," Thalia said. "Now, we can't have you looking like an exact clone of me. I'll be wearing black leather skirt, fishnets, black leather vest and ice blue crop tank. High-heeled thigh-high boots. Ice blue jewelry, it'll match the eyes, hair, and shirt. Our other color can be purple- you look good in that. But I want a different vibe. Black ripped denim. Maybe a purple jacket. Hair down, it'll look great while you're playing Chunky metal jewelry. I talked to Will, he'll be dressing pretty plain so you'll be a nice halfway point between us."

"Geez," Reyna muttered, "You've got this down to a science."

"You'll learn eventually. Look, here's a nice pair of jeans, what size are you?"

They ended up with some nice stuff, and Thalia made Reyna try on all of it before she left the store. Reyna stepped out of the dressing rooms in Thalia's aforementioned selection, plus a suitably ironic old Green Day t-shirt."

"Damn, you look good," Thalia said. 

Reyna raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you supposed to be Huntress?"

"Yeah, but I'm not _blind_," Thalia said. "Can't I objectively observe and enjoy artistic beauty?"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "Objectively. Artistic."

"You work awfully hard on those abs _not_ to consider it an art," Thalia laughed. 

"This is rapidly getting weird, Huntress," Reyna said. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, you've got everything you need. Ready to perform?"

"Yep," Reyna said, closing the door. "But it's really on your shoulders, front woman. But I'm sure you'll do great."

"Oh, I will" Thalia said. "This is our big break."

"I'm sure."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna gets stage fright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write a lot of "Reyna is perfect and a queeeennn" because she is. But I wanted to try something where I make her a little more fragile. Even though this is my goof-off fluff fic. 
> 
> Please enjoy, like, and comment. Any characters you'd like to see? 
> 
> Also Will would be the ultimate shipper ;)

Jason helped them load the last of their instruments into the truck. Thalia and the Hunt were still in Rome, and Reyna had managed to clear her weekend schedule- a true miracle for the two busy demigods. 

"Wow," Reyna said. "This is really happening. 

"Told you I'd do it," Thalia laughed. "Maybe next time you won't doubt me!"

"I didn't doubt you!" Reyna protested. "It's more like- it was too good to be true."

"Take the compliment," Will advised. He was dressed very simply- blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Reyna was in the outfit Thalia had selected for her. Nico was coming to help with the equipment. 

"Wish I could be there," Jason told them. "But good luck!"

"I'll take a video for you," Nico promised. 

Thalia groaned. "Don't. I'm not good enough for that."

"You're fine," Reyna insisted. "You'll be great. You're a born performer. Dramatic and attention-getting. Interpret that as you will."

Thalia laughed. The three performers, plus Nico, piled into Reyna's pickup. It was a short drive- a field not too far from camp where the party would be held. The drive was enough to give Reyna something to focus on other than her scrambled nerves. Sure, she'd spoken in front of crowds of legionnaires and Greeks before, in front of the Roman senate, and in front of men who wanted her head. 

But playing guitar for some random person's party? _That_ rattled her. 

Thalia noticed her clenched jaw and tight grip on the steering wheel. "Hey," she said. "You're gonna be amazing."

Reyna exhaled slowly. "This is in no way the scariest thing I've ever done. And yet it terrifies me. Adrenaline is so damn stupid."

"Yeah," Will said. "But seriously. Don't sweat it. Run through the worst case scenario in your head, and you'll see it probably can't be that horrible. It works."

"Thanks, Will."

Reyna did. So what if she messed up. _These people won't recommend us. And we won't get hired again. And Will and Thalia will lose this opportunity._ She feared letting her best friends down. _And I'll be stuck following some ideal of what a Roman is._

But this last concern kicked her into gear. _That_ was the rebellious spirit she needed to do this. Screw the expectations, and tradition. She was going to nail this performance, come hell or high water. 

That's what she told herself.

They showed up in plenty of time, and got everything set up. They would just be playing background music to set the mood. So why was she so nervous?

Finally it came time for them to play. 

"Ready?" Thalia whispered. 

Reyna froze. She forget all the music she'd memorized. It was probably only a few seconds, but it felt like forever. Finally the muscle memory came back to her, and she began to play. Statically. 

After about ten minutes she kicked back into groove. She remembered the music, and played it with feeling. It felt good, like she was getting something out of her system. 

At midnight, it was time to go home. Reyna's adrenaline had been pumping the whole night, and she felt worn and stressed. "Wanna go get something to eat?" Thalia asked. 

"I guess, yeah," Reyna said. "We're already out."

"Me and Nico are gonna head home, actually," Will said. "But you two have fun." Was he smirking? He was smirking. Why was he smirking?

Thalia and Reyna drove to a restaurant and ordered dinner. Reyna always ate late, and Thalia's eating schedule was too complex and irregular for mortal minds to comprehend. 

"Look, I know you were nervous, but you did amazing," Thalia said. "Seriously. A ton of the guests complimented us. The host gave us a nice Yelp review. We're on Yelp!"

Reyna buried her head in her hands. "It's just- why does this, of all things, freak me out so much?"

"I'm guessing it's because it's something that you're passionate about, that you're new to, and that you aren't 100% confident in your ability to do. I don't think anything else you do is ever all three at once. But it's good to step outside your comfort zone. You're slaying. Trust me."

"I thought the point of this was not to be slaying things for once?" Reyna said, the corner of her mouth twitching. 

Thalia laughed. "You know what I mean."

The two girls finished their meals. "Ready to go?" Reyna asked. "You did great. Thanks for pep-talking me."

Thalia squeezed her hand. "You're the best."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia has to leave California with the Hunt. But the band is taking off, and she doesn't want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm back, and I haven't abandoned this fic. I know, it's been a while, I'm sorry, I've been busy with others! Please enjoy. 
> 
> Also I feel like this is a good point to mention I know literally nothing about being in a band.

After three weeks- playing on weekends, when everyone was available- their band played two more gigs, still only Green Day and My Chemical Romance covers. Reyna was learning to manage her stage fright, and even enjoying the stress relief. Will thought it was a fun way to spend the summer, and Thalia...

Well, it was about more complicated for Thalia. 

"Soooo....." she sighed, lying on Reyna's bedroom floor one day, "Here's the thing. The Hunt is leaving for _Washington_ next week."

Reyna winced. "There goes the band. Well, it was fun while it lasted."

Thalia groaned. "I don't wanna give up, Rey, I really don't. But I don't know what I'd do."

"No," Reyna said, "No, you shouldn't abandon the Hunt just for a lark like this. Seriously. We can play, just for fun, when you're in town. Not a big deal."

Thalia could hear the thinly masked disappointment in Reyna's voice, mirroring her own. "That's the thing. It's not just the band. It's the impermanence, how we're never in one place. I thought it would be good for me, because that's what I'm used. But- you can get your fill of adventure. And I've never tried being settled- not even in a location, just in a role."

Reyna shifts to face Thalia. "I've always wanted to be settled- in a role or a location. And every time, just when I thought I was, I wasn't. So I've had- involuntary adventure. And yes, I'd say I've had my fill of it. Gods, what would I give to live a normal life?"

"You wouldn't," Thalia said confidently. "You thrive on- this. It's good. You'd be dreadfully bored as a mortal. But yes, being settled would be nice."

"But- what are you going to do?" Reyna asked quietly. 

Thalia clicked her tongue. "What, indeed."

\-------------

Nothing, apparently. Thalia disappeared with the Hunt, without so much as a good-bye the next morning. Caught between an angry invective, heartfelt sorrow, and a friendly letter, Reyna's pen hovered over the paper of her next letter. 

The angry tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, which Reyna refused to let fall, made the paper difficult to see. Reyna had just been feeling like she'd found a connection with Thalia,one of frustration and a life of loneliness, one that no one else could relate to. And then she'd left. So much for the connection. She supposed that was what Thalia was like. Going from place to place, dumping her problems on someone there and moving on. Tired of adventure, indeed. 

Reyna flung her pen at the wall. The dull, metallic _thunk_ as it hit the floor unbroken was rather unsatisfying. She punched her desk. Pain shot through her knuckles and arm, but again, far from helpful. Flexing her aching fingers, she stormed out for a walk. 

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one in the Garden of Bacchus. 

"I figured you'd be here," Nico said. "You seemed agitated."

"Thanks, Sherlock," Reyna snapped. "What do you want?"

"I thought you might want to talk."

"So you came to the spot I go to when I don't want to talk."

Nico sighed. Reyna didn't have the headspace for this interaction right now. "I know what it's like," he said. 

Reyna ignored him. 

"To want someone you can't have."

Reyna snapped her head to him. "What are you implying?"

"Thalia's a wonderful girl. But she felt it too, why do you think she left? Too dangerous for both of you."

She looked at the ground. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," she growled.

"It seems like it would be easiest to tell yourself that. To pretend that you're confused, because _knowing_ would be harder. But knowing and pretending you don't just tears you apart inside."

"Can we stop speaking in riddles? I've never been too keen on them."

"You're in love with Thalia."

Reyna felt like she'd been punched in the gut. But like it was a punch she'd braced herself for. She'd known she had special feelings for Thalia, but she'd never even considered them to be of _that_ nature. It would have seemed impossible, with Thalia in the Hunt and Reyna running New Rome. She wasn't pleased that they'd been pointed out to her before she was ready to realize them. 

"Doesn't matter if I am," she said coolly. "That horse would be shot out of the gate. Now I came here to be left _alone_."

Nico left quietly. 

But wasn't this aching loneliness what she had been trying to get rid of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I'm exploring Reyna's emotional side in this one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I sort of abandoned this fic, but after having a fanfiction midlife crisis of not updating WIPs, I'm back and ready to be good and update my WIPs. Here y'all go!

_One year later_

“You _what?_”

“After weaning myself off it for a year,I left the Hunt,” Thalia repeated. “Look, we’ve both just been getting more and more devoted to the band. The Hunt wasn’t working for me. You told me not to give it up for a lark like this. Well, it’s not just a lark anymore. _Five_ gigs playing _original songs_ is nothing to sneeze at. And it’s not just this I’m giving it up for,” she adds. “It’s my- personal life. My mental health. And the band.”

_Seriously? You wait a year in the Hunt, let me be in tortured stupid love with you and write a bunch of horrible, angsty songs about it, and after I finally fall out of love with you, you come back and tell me you want to have a full-time job in the band together?_

But Reyna couldn’t be mad Thalia for committing herself to this. And it’s her life, her decision.

“Well, it’s great to see you. We can talk with Nico and Will about long-term. After this- mini-tour, I guess?”

Thalia nodded. “I hear Piper hooked us up with someone at the local news stations? To help with publicity?”

“Yeah,” Reyna confirmed. “But you know what tonight is.”

Thalia grinned. “Jelly beans and practice.”

And as soon as they got back into it, it was hard to believe a whole five months had passed since they’d last worked together. Reyna’s songs were clean, Thalia’s voice was impeccable, and Will was as good as ever. The first four concerts were small if successful, and their combination of acoustic playing with gritty vocals made a niche for themselves.

Their fifth concert was almost full, and probably their best so far. As they prepared for their last song, one they hadn’t played ever before, Thalia made an unplanned introduction. 

“It’s really wonderful to sing all these songs, and I feel a lot of them personally. Of course, most of the credit for the writing goes to Reyna, and I think this one was really important to her, so I’d like to let her introduce it.”

Reyna looked up in surprise at her singer. Thalia nodded eagerly and handed her the mic. 

“I- uh, thank you, Thalia,” she said. “As my friend said, this song has a lot of personal meaning for me, about my life in the past year.” _Definitely not about being hopelessly in love with Thalia while getting the band off the ground. Just the band part._ “But I think anyone can find personal significance in it. About, you know, growing and changing while still feeling held back in some places. Anyway, I’m gonna hand the mic back to Thalia for ‘Lone Cypress’. Thank you.”

Thalia smiled at her widely, and Reyna returned the guitar. Thalia sings the lyrics with such feeling, it’s almost possible to believe that she’s felt the same way this past year. 

The concert ends with thunderous applause, and by the end, the band can actually count their profits. 

The rumors fly thick and fast- or as thick and fast as possible in their small yet loyal group of fans- about the meaning of Reyna’s impromptu speech and ‘Lone Cypress’. 

“It’s got to be about Thalia. Did you see the way she was looking at her.”  
“Reyna definitely has some unresolved feelings for her.”  
“They’d be so cool together.”

The rumors reached Will first, who laughed them off. Then Reyna, who shrugged and tried to pretend they weren’t accurate.

Then Thalia, in whom they ignited a spark of hope.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hey Thalia, we’ve been asked to play at a Pride rally in L.A.”

Thalia perks up. “Hm?”

“They’re looking for local bands with LGBT members. Lord knows we qualify,” Reyna laughs. “Nico got the email today. We’ll get a little money from the city, and more publicity. We might even be able to start touring out of state soon.”

“And?” Thalia continues. Reyna seems to be waiting for something. 

She blinks. “I’m asking your opinion, Thalia. Do you want to take it?”

“Huh? Of course! Sounds like a great idea. I guess it seemed obvious-”

“You have an equal stake in this band,” Reyna reminds her. “Moreso, really, you’re our entire public face. Don’t forget to give your input.”

Thalia nods. It’s true; she has not been contributing much of her own opinions. She’s happy this way- she goes out and performs her heart and soul, and Reyna and Nico make responsible decisions for them. But she’s worried they read her lack of opinions as apathy. “That would be great. It’s crazy how much this has taken off. I thought- you know, that this wasn’t anything. Just playing covers and a little stuff. Now we’re doing interviews and tours…”

Reyna shakes out her hair and lays herself down on the couch. “Wild, isn’t it? And we still haven’t hired a real manager. Or a publicist. Or a sound technician or-”

“Rey! Stop stressing over the details. Nico’s doing fine managing us. Will’s good at the sound editing, and me and you- well,” she winks. “We’ve got the publicity down. Everyone loves us.”

_Do they, though?_ Reyna wonders. “Everyone keeps trying to sell us as a couple.” _And you don’t love me back._

Thalia shrugs. “Give the people what they want. Teasing.”

Of course. Even when Thalia winks cryptically at interviewers demanding if they are a couple, even when she squeezes Reyna’s hand after a performance, she doesn’t mean it. It’s friendly, and it looks good on camera. Nothing more. 

Reyna stands up suddenly. “I’ll go tell Nico. Practice after dinner? See you then.”

Nico is just getting off the phone with Hazel. “She’s meeting us for dinner next Saturday,” he offers. 

“Sounds great,” Reyna says dully. “Thalia says yes, by the way.”

“Great. I’ll tell the coordinators.” He opens his email. “You seem kind of- upset.”

She shrugs. “Does Thalia seem- unenthusiastic? Like she’s just- here because she doesn’t want to leave?”

Nico shook his head. “She loves this, have you seen her on stage? She just- she enjoys letting someone else take responsibility. Her whole life, she’s been in charge of someone- Jason, her mom, Annabeth, the Hunters. Finally she gets to settle in a little. And it’s not like she doesn’t do her part.”

Reyna nods. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”

They sit in silence for a few minutes. They do that a lot- they don’t need to talk to enjoy each other’s company. But this time, it’s not comfortable. 

“It’s been a year, Reyna,” he says quietly. “You aren’t still-”

Reyna slams down her hand. “Yeah, I am. It’s only worse. Sometimes time does absolutely effing nothing, Nico. And I’ve been professional, and friendly, and _still-_” 

“Have you tried talking to Thalia?”

She snorts. “As if.”

“She did leave the Hunt, Reyna. There has to be more than one reason why.”

_Personal_, Thalia said. 

But Reyna’s still mad. 

“I’ll see you later,” she says finally, and leaves quickly.


	8. Chapter 8

They settled into a routine, of practicing and writing until late at night, falling asleep on Reyna’s couch with a bowl of jelly beans between them. It was cozy and sweet, and domestic-looking, and stirred both their sad hearts a little. 

Reyna always woke up first. She’d spend a minute looking at Thalia’s sleeping form before getting up to make breakfast. Pretty quickly, she got used to making it for both of them. Thalia would usually walk into the kitchen about ten minutes later with some contextless remark. That’s how it was this morning. 

“What bastard child of a spoon and steak knife is this?”

Reyna looked over at the offending cutlery in Thalia’s hand. “That’s a grapefruit spoon, although that’s a rather original way to refer to it. Thanks for volunteering to set that table, though.”

Thalia continued to study the spoon. “How exactly would one eat grapefruit with this? Is it like those old cartoons where people are getting the juice in their face?”

“Yep. Now help me with breakfast.”

“Feels like we’re an old married couple,” Thalia grumbled as she set the table. 

Both of them froze for a minute, Thalia unable to believe that she’d actually _said_ that, Reyna wondering if she meant anything by it. Then Reyna began to play along.

“We need more ketchup hon.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Sure, _babe_. Thanks for the eggs.”

“No problem, darling.” Reyna passed her a plate of eggs. “You ready for the performance tomorrow?”

“Hoo boy. Yeah. Probably. Maybe. Definitely.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “I appreciate the confidence.”

Thalia laughed. “You never know what might happen. But it’ll be OK.”

Reyna nodded. “Good attitude.” 

********

“Thank you so much for coming, have a great weekend, we certainly did!” Thalia shouted to the crowd. They cheered in response. Most of them had probably never even heard of them before today, but the performance was still thrilling. 

A few people came up to them afterwards, asking for pictures or autographs, and asking questions. A local reporter stopped her as they were packing up the truck.

“We’ve all been wondering for a while, so could you enlighten us, ladies? _Are_ you two,as they say, an item? Your fans seem rather- eager about the two of you.”

Thalia brushed her hair out of her sweaty face. “We haven’t told anyone yet, you think you’ll be the first?”

“A girl can hope.”

Reyna emerged from behind their truck. “‘Fraid not, darling. Good job trying, though.”

Thalia looked wistfully at Reyna’s confident yet aggressive grin. If only...


	9. Chapter 9

Reyna slammed her papers down on the table. “Thalia can’t be sick.”

Nico shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. She’s sick. She can’t sing tonight.”

“This is our biggest show yet!”

Nico pursed his lips. “Look, I can take a couple songs, you can take a couple songs, record a nice bit at the end for her. But we can’t change the date and Thalia _can’t_ sing.”

Reyna sighed. She’d been hoping to make some grand gesture to Thalia for this, their last concert for a little while, and biggest one yet. Not now, though. That would have to wait. 

Because being on stage was the only time Reyna really learned to express her emotions. Something about the strength-sharing made her draw on the crowd’s emotion during the performance. 

But Thalia did all the interviews, all the publicity, because dammit if Reyna could get a word in proper in front of less than a hundred people that she wasn’t fighting. 

“I’m gonna go visit her before the performance,” Reyna announced. “It’s not anything contagious. Meet you there.”

“Bring her some tea and tell her I said to rest.”

***************

“Hey, Thalia. Don’t talk, just here for a quick check-in. Brought you some tea. Well, Nico made me. He says hi and you should rest.”

Thalia raised an eyebrow. “Did Hazel possess him?” Her voice was weak and raspy. 

“I told you not to talk! No, he’s just taking care of you.” Reyna began to get out an iPad and pulled up some stuff. “You can watch the concert live here. Get some rest and trust me and Nico.”

“You want any singing tips?”

“No, because I know you’ll try to demonstrate and you can’t. Don’t worry, me and Nico won’t be half as good as you.”

“Damn right you won’t,” Thalia laughed hoarsely. She squeezed Reyna’s hand. “Do us proud, hon.”

“I will.” On a whim, Reyna bent down and pressed a kiss to Thalia’s forehead. “Get better soon.”

*************

Just because Thalia wasn’t there, didn’t mean Reyna couldn’t say something to her, Reyna realized. And now, right before the last song, with her plan fully developed, she took the microphone from Nico. 

“Thanks for coming, everyone. We’ve all had a great time. We’re all really sad Thalia couldn’t be here, but she’s watching and sends her love. This last song goes out specially to her.” She looked into the camera. “Here’s some stuff I’ve always wanted to say to you, Thalia. Hope you like it.”

Reyna wasn’t much of a one for love songs. But this one came naturally from her lips, and it was like she was in another plane of existence, only returning once she finished singing. 

She walked off stage immediately after the cheering quieted, and got ready for the after-party, refusing to even think about the potential reaction from Thalia so she wouldn’t go insane with stress. She’d gotten good at blocking out emotions, whether or not that was healthy. 

What she didn’t expect was to see a certain someone at the after-party.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Reyna sighed. “You’re sick.”

Thalia grinned. “Will worked some of that Apollo magic on me. Still in no shape to sing, but enough to hear _that_ live.”

Reyna paused. “Thalia, listen, I know I shouldn’t of, and I’m sorry, but I-”

Thalia cut her off with a quick kiss, then pulled away so they could study each other’s matching smiles. 

Reyna pulled her back down and drank in her lips in a way she’d wanted to for a long time. “Wish you’d gotten sick a lot sooner,” she muttered. 

“Me too,” Thalia whispered back. 

The other guests began to scream and cheer, cameras flashing and screaming questions. Thalia turned to Reyna. “Wanna get out of the spotlight?” She jerked her head to the door. 

“Let’s go,” she agreed.


End file.
